It’s the holiday season, and the Barclay Friends continuing care community in West Chester has been decorated with snowmen and Santas, a winter village encircled by an electric train, poinsettias, ribbons and pine, and a menorah.Amidst all the joy and excitement, residents were asked to share some of their own holiday traditions.

Lucy Lanza“My holidays are beautiful,” says Lucy, who comes from an Italian family.“We have flowers that are lavender, pink or white, expensive ones too, but no one complains because it’s only once a year.People do what they can,” she adds. “We have all kinds of fish, and we also have chicken and steak and sardines.”Christmas Eve is Lucy’s favorite because she is “happy (to be) with all (her) people.There’s nothing like family.We have seven little ones just coming around now and godparents and we all exchange gifts; people can bring whatever they want.We are all considerate of everyone’s means.We accept whatever gifts they give,” she adds.“They are gracious, one and all.”

Sonia SchwartzOn Saturday, Dec. 8, Hanukkah began at sundown. “I remember matzo ball soup,” recalls Sonia, “and I liked it a lot.”Traditional Hanukkah fare includes latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts) to celebrate the miracle of oil, as well as dairy-based foods such as rugelach and blintzes. Hanukkah will last for eight days and will end on Dec.16.

Ruth DeanRuth is German-born and visits her home country every year.In the German tradition, “Santa Claus comes on the sixth of December and brings goodies such as cookies, nuts and oranges to the children.He is accompanied by Zwarte Piet, who carries a switch and asks children if they have been good or bad.On the 24th,” she says, “the Christ child comes.This was the big thing when I was a girl; he brought me dolls and new doll clothes and books.The houses in Germany are a little different than here,” she says.“The rooms are all closed off.Parents lock one particular room and children do not see the tree until Christmas.We had real candles,” she recalls, “and we never had a fire!Tinsel is a big thing too.My husband and I once spent four hours putting tinsel into our tree.It was gorgeous.”Ruth describes how the Dec. 26 is considered a holiday as well.“It makes it so much nicer for the housewives.I miss that.My daughter told me once that she never even got out of her robes!It’s also a nice time to visit with friends and family.”

Phil Dinenno“We always waited for Santa to come with toys,” Phil says.“I had soldiers and an Erector Set, No. 6½.That’s actually what got me interested in engineering.I worked for Westinghouse as an engineering manager and built steam turbines and gas turbines; eventually they got made into jet engines.But for Christmas,” he says, “my mother made a turkey, and the meal was always preceded by spaghetti and meatballs; you couldn’t sit down and eat without eating spaghetti and meatballs.My family was Catholic and we went to mass every week, and on holidays.I never became an altar boy, though,” he admits, “because I was too interested in girls!”